How to Make Your Blog Posts Pop

Want to better engage the current and prospective customers of your business? A blog is an excellent way to do so. Here’s how to entice them to read what you write and hang on every word.

First, make your blog an extension of yourself, your experience, your passions and your ability to meet your audience’s needs. You know your customers well, so use that knowledge to showcase your thought leadership and opinions and connect to your ideal clients and their network.

Next, nail the headline. It’s not only the first thing your audience will read, but the most important thing you’ll write. Compel them to click on your link. Consider using questions, numbered lists, statistics, best of’s, and do’s and don’ts to draw your reader in. Try writing more than one and then looking them over. If one jumps out, use that one.

Linkable, Scanable, Searchable and Sociable

In other words, better blog performance is possible if you follow these four tips. Sprinkle in relevant links and sources. Break up the blog’s text with bullet points, images and headers to make it easy for the eyes to scan. Help your audience find you by using keywords they search for. This can improve search engine optimization (SEO) as well. Lastly, make use of social media and email to promote your posts and drive traffic to your blog.

Keep Them Coming Back for More

You’ll want to generate fresh content on a consistent basis, two to three times a month, or at the very least, quarterly.

The point is: a blog takes commitment. It will not serve its purpose if you let it get stale. So set a recurring reminder on your calendar and post original content whenever possible.

Write Like You Talk

In addition to posting consistently, you want to do so in a voice that reflects you and your team, blending industry insights, personal interests and lifestyle content that appeals to your readers.

Offer your perspective on timely topics or concerns you hear in client conversations, current industry or market news, events or restaurants that piqued your interest, and updates about your office and team.

Think of your blog as your custom newsletter, an extension of your online brand, website and social media.

Get to the Point

Keep your blog articles 500 words or less. Don’t write a novel. Outline, write, then edit, and edit some more before posting. If you can say something with a picture, video, chart or graphic, by all means, do so. Multimedia and interactive elements increase engagement and drive clicks.

And, of course, have somebody proofread what you’ve written before you post it.

Next Steps

Identify a few topics for your next blog articles.

Invest some time in writing compelling content.

Set a timely reminder for working on your next article.

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